Composite garment



Nov. 14, 1961 B. J. YELTON COMPOSITE GARMENT 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May21, 1958 INVENTOR BETTY J. YELTON FlG. I

ATTORNEY Nov. 14, 1961 B. J. YELTON COMPOSITE GARMENT 5 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed May 21, 1958 FIG. 7

INVENTOR BETTY J. YEILTON ATTORNEY Nov. 14, 1961 B. J. YELTON COMPOSITEGARMENT 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 21, 1958 INVENTOR BETTY J. YELTONATTORNEY FIG. IO

United States Patent 3,008,147 COMPOSITE GARMENT Betty J. Yelton, Rte.2, Union Mills, N.C. Filed May 21, 1958, Ser. No. 736,893 2 Claims. (Cl.270) This invention relates to wearing apparel for the feminine sex.More specifically it relates to articles of clothing which may be wornin a number of ways to provide garments of different types and styles.

Apparel of various kinds which may be worn in a variety of ways has beenused heretofore. However, the apparel items of the present invention,because of their unusual construction, permit the wearer to select anyone of a relatively large number of types of garments and stylesthereof.

Not only does the present invention permit the selection and use ofvarious types and styles of apparel but various structural advantagesare also provided.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide aplurality of articles of feminine apparel which may be worn altogetheras an ensemble or in various combinations to provide a large number ofbasic types and styles of dress.

A further object is to provide separable skirt, back and bodice elementswhich are so constructed and designed that they may be assembled on thewearer to provide an ensemble having a pleasing appearance and which isadaptable to a wide range of figures.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from thefollowing description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevation of the skirt, with portions broken away forgreater clarity;

FIG. 2, an elevation of the outside of the back member;

FIG. 3, a fragmentary elevation of the inside of the sash or bodicemember;

FIG. 4, a section on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5, a rear view illustrating the manner of connecting the skirit tothe back member;

FIG. 6, an example of an ensemble forming one style of dress from thethree items of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3;

FIG. 7, an example of a jumper formed from the items of FIGS. 1 and 3;

FIG. 8, an example of a Mexican style blouse formed from the items ofFIGS. 1 and 3;

FIG. 9, an example of a halter and skirt formed from the items of FIGS.1 and 3; and

FIG. 10, an example of a smock formed from the items of FIGS. 1 and 3.

Briefly stated, the invention comprises a skirt having fasteningelements at its waistband, a back member adapted to be secured to theband at the rearside thereof and having a pair of straps to partiallyencircle the chest of the wearer, and a bodice or sash having means forattachment to the front side of the waistband of the skirt and havingother engaging members at its upper portion and being of considerablelength so that it may serve as a sash, halter or straps in various ways.

With further reference to the drawings a skirit member has at the loweredge 11 a hem within which a drawstring 12 may be positioned. The skirtis cut full so that it may be draped or bloused in various ways and hasa waistband 13 at its upper edge the ends of which may be connected bysuitable fastening members 14. The front edge of the waistband has ahalf of a concealed zipper or other fastening member 15 mountedintermediate and at the junction of a pair of band members 16 formingthe outer and inner members of the waistband 13. At the rear side of thewaistband 13 another zipper half 17 is similarly mounted.

3,008,147 Patented Nov. 14, 1961 With reference to FIG. 2 a back memberis shown having a main portion 19 and a pair of straps 20 provided witha fastening means 21. With particular reference to FIG. 5 it will beapparent that the straps 20 are adapted to encircle the wearers bodyabove the bust line. At its lower edge the back member has a zipper orother separable fastening means 22 which may be engaged with theseparable fastening member 17 on the skirt to form a continuationthereof as indicated in FIG. 5.

In FIG. 3 a bodice or sash member is shown having a central portion 23with elongated ties 24 extending therefrom. In order to reduce thelength of the lower portion of the central part of the bodice member incomparison with its upper region darts 25 are taken across said lowerportion. At the upper portion on the inner side an underlay or flap 26is attached which extends substantially across the central portion andhas mounted on it a pair of outer rings 27 and a central ring 28 securedby loops 29. In the drawing the outer rings 27 are spaced slightly lessthan shoulder width apart. Across the lower edge of the flap 26 aplurality of separable fasteners 30 are provided by means of which thestraps 20 of the back member 19 may be attached to the underlay inaccordance with the dimensions of the wearer. A zipper half 32 ismounted at the lower border of the central portion for engagement withthe zipper half 15 of the skirt waistband. Ties 24 may vary in lengthbut the bodice member should preferably be approximately 8 to 12 feetlong in order to form the various garments and styles.

It will be apparent that when the back member is worn with the skirt andbodice member the straps 20 will be positioned across the top of thewearers bust line as indicated in FIG. 5, which will support the strapsand assist in holding up the upper portion of the bodice member.

In order that the bodice member may properly fit the bosom of the wearerand also may serve as a halter, sash, belt, jumper suspenders or thelike it should be cut on the bias as indicated.

Although a variety of garments and styles are illustrated it should beunderstood that they are merely representative of a few of the numerousones which may be formed.

The dress of FIG. 6 may be formed by all of the items of FIGS. 1 to 3,the back member being fastened to the skirt as indicated in FIG. 5 andthe front or bodice connected by the zipper half 32 to the front zipperhalf 16 of the skirt with the separable fastener members 21 of the backmember being secured to the fastening members 30 on the underlay of thebodice member. The ties 24 of the bodice member are either tied orcrossed at the back of the wearer and then brought over the shouldersand through the outer rings 28 on the underlay of the bodice memberwhere they may be tied, and are then passed through the central ring andtied. If an open or sunback dress is desired, the back member isomitted.

In the jumper of FIG. 7, the bodice member is wrapped as a sash aroundthe waist of the wearer and tied or crossed over the wearers back andthen brought over the shoulders and down through the outer rings 28 ofthe bodice member. When worn in this manner the bodice member serves asa belt and as suspenders for the skirt.

The blouse of FIG. 8 is formed by placing the skirt waist around theneck of the wearer whose arms remain under the skirt. The fullness ofthe skirt is bloused around the wearers upper arms and its lower edgetucked at the waist. The bodice tie has its central portion 23 aroundthe back of the neck of the wearer and is tied or crossed at the wearersback and the ends brought around and tied at the front to form aWaistband around the lower edge of the skirt as indicated.

In FIG. 9 the bodice is worn around the chest of the wearer withoutengaging the zipper elements. The ties are crossed or tied at the backand brought around the neck to form a knot at one side as indicated.

In order to form the smock of FIG. 10 the Waistband of the skirt isplaced around the wearers waist with the skirt upside down and by usingthe drawstring 12 the lower edge of the skirt is drawn'snugly around thechest above the bustline. The bodice member is then used as a sasharound the body above the bustline and over the edge of the skirt havingthe drawstring.

Among the garments or styles which may be formed from the itemsdescribed are: a complete dress with full skirt and front and backcoverage; a sunbaek dress, omitting the back' member; skirt and halter,omitting the back member and fastening between the bodice and skirt; abeach cape and halter, using the skirt as a cape at the shoulders andthe bodice as a halter; a Mexican style blouse, as described; a jumper,as described; and a skirt alone or with sash.

It will be apparent that the present invention includes three items ofapparel which may be worn in various combinations and in various ways toprovide a highly versatile and practical wardrobe from a minimum numberof members.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes maybe made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scopethereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which isillustrated in the drawings and described in the specification, but onlyas indicated in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A composite garment comprising a skirt having a main portion and awaistband, separable fastening means at the front and rear portions ofthe waistband, a back member having a central portion and a strapextending from the upper region of each side of said central'porn, ea hst p v n epa ab fa t i m a s mote from said central portion, otherseparable' fastening means at the lower region of the central portion ofsaid back member for engagement with the separable fastening means atthe rear portion of the skirt waistband, and a bodice member having acentral portion, separable fastening means at the lower region of saidbodice member for engagement with the separable fastening means at thefront portion of the skirt waistband, other separable fastening means atthe upper region of the central portion of said bodice member forengagement with the fastening means on the straps of said back member,said bodice member having a tie of substantial length extending fromeach side of its central portion and whose ends may be joined as a sashor halter around the wearer.

2. A composite garment comprising a skirt having a main portion and awaist band, separable fastening means at the front'of the waist band, abodice member having a front central portion, separable fastening meansat the lower portion of said central portion for engaging said fasteningmeans of said waist band, ring-like engaging means at the upper regionof said central portion, and a tie of substantial length extending fromeach side of said central portion, said ties being adapted to passaround the wearers body and over the shoulders and engage the ring-likefastening means at the upper region of said bodice member and to havetheir ends connecting intermediate said ring-like engaging memberswhereby said bodice member is supported by said ties,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

